Washington's 5th congressional district elections, 2012
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Incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) won re-election.[1]
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Primary: Washington has a top-two primary system, in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, go on to the general election.[2]
Voter registration: Voters were required to register to vote in the primary by July 9, or July 30 in-person for first-time voters.[3] For the general election, voter registration deadlines were October 9, and October 28 for first-time voters.[3]
- See also: Washington elections, 2012
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R), who was first elected to the House in 2004.
This was the first election which used new district maps based on 2010 Census data. Washington's 5th congressional district is located in the eastern portion of the state, and includes Pend Orelle, Stevens, Ferry, Lincoln, Spokane, Whitman, Asotin, Garfield, Whitman, Columbia, and Walla Walla counties.[4]
Candidates
Note: Election results were added on election night as races were called. Vote totals will be added when official election results are certified. For more information about Ballotpedia's election coverage plan, click here. If you find any errors in this list, please email: Geoff Pallay.
General election candidates
August 7, 2012 primary results
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Election results
General election
| U.S. House, Washington, District 5 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Cathy McMorris Rodgers Incumbent |
61.9% | 191,066 | |
| Democratic | Rich Cowan | 38.1% | 117,512 | |
| Total Votes | 308,578 | |||
| Source: Washington Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Primary
Washington's top-two primary system means voters choose from the full field of candidates on August 7, and the top two vote-getters go on to the general election, regardless of their party.
After the Democratic Party's favorite did not make it past the primary in 2010, party officials made a strong effort to ensure Rich Cowan was the only Democrat on the primary ticket in 2012.[6]
Randall Yearout, a Republican challenger, said he is the only candidate who will pursue a "constitutional remedy" for the fact "that the federal government has grown too big for its britches."[6] Independent Ian Moody said he would "fight back when government encroaches on citizens' rights."[6]
Impact of redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Washington
Washington gained a congressional seat following the 2010 Census, bringing its total up to 10. The newly redrawn 5th covers the eastern boundary of the state, from Canada to the Columbia. It includes Walla Walla and Spokane.[7]
The 5th district was re-drawn after the 2010 Census. The new district is composed entirely of voters of the old 5th district.[8][9]
District partisanship
FairVote's Monopoly Politics 2012 study
- See also: FairVote's Monopoly Politics 2012
In 2012, FairVote did a study on partisanship in the congressional districts, giving each a percentage ranking (D/R) based on the new 2012 maps and comparing that to the old 2010 maps. Washington's 5th District became more Republican because of redistricting.[10]
- 2012: 44D / 56R
- 2010: 43D / 57R
Cook Political Report's PVI
In 2012, Cook Political Report released its updated figures on the Partisan Voter Index, which measures each congressional district's partisanship relative to the rest of the country. Washington's 5th congressional district has a PVI of R+6, which is the 155th most Republican district in the country. In 2008, this district was won by John McCain (R), 53-47 percent over Barack Obama (D). In 2004, George W. Bush (R) won the district 58-42 percent over John Kerry (D).[11]
District history
2010
On November 2, 2010, Cathy McMorris Rodgers won re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Daryl Romeyn (D).[12]
| U.S. House of Representatives General Election, Washington, Congressional District 5, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Cathy McMorris Rodgers Incumbent |
63.7% | 177,235 | |
| Democrat | Daryl Romeyn | 36.3% | 101,146 | |
| Total Votes | 278,381 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2012
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2012
- United States Senate elections in Washington, 2012
References
- ↑ CNN "Washington Districts Race - 2012 Election Center"
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State "Top 2 Primary: FAQ," Accessed May 17, 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Washington Secretary of State "Dates and Deadlines," Accessed May 25, 2012
- ↑ Washington Redistricting Map "Map" Accessed July 24, 2012
- ↑ The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review "McMorris Rodgers starting 2012 campaign," Accessed December 7, 2011
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Spokane Spokesman-Review "Candidates for Congress weigh in on top issues," July 22, 2012
- ↑ Washington Redistricting Commission "Final Statewide," Accessed May 15, 2012
- ↑ Moonshadow Mobile's CensusViewer "Washington's congressional districts 2001-2011 comparison"
- ↑ Labels & Lists "VoterMapping software voter counts"
- ↑ "2011 Redistricting and 2012 Elections in Washington," September 2012
- ↑ Cook Political Report "Partisan Voting Index Districts of the 113th Congress: 2004 & 2008" Accessed October 2012
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
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